Railway freight-car.



H. EPSTEIN.

- RAILWAY FREIGHT CAR.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 8. 1911.

1,268,555. Patented June 4, 1918.

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RAILWAY FREIGHT CAR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8. 1911.

1 ,268,555 Patented June 4, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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E vwentoz WW/bylaw HYMAN EPSTEIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAILWAY FREIGHT-CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1918.

Application filed November 8, 1917. Serial No. 200,990.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HYMAN Ers'rnm, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at New York, in the borough of Manhattan and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Freight-Cars, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an improved railway freight car and comprises a structure wherein an improved system of unloading freight trains at terminal points may be carried out with great despatch relieving the car proper of its contents and permitting the same as an empty to be transportedfor further services avoiding the now recognized objection of long delays in unloading and demurrage charges.

The invention may be stated as one appertaining to a light easily handled cagelike structure designed to receive freight of different character and which can be readily placed in or on freight cars and removed therefrom, the cage being provided with suitable wheels.

The underlying principle of the invention is disclosed in a car of the box type equipped with what may be termed a removable liner which is the receiving element for the goods and which can with but little trouble be withdrawn from the end of the car in a manner similar to automobile transporting cars.

The principles of the invention involves the conceptive idea of removing the ends of the box car proper, applying between the adjacent cars carrying rails to bridge the gap between the cars and providing each car of the train with rails over which the liners or cages containing the goods may be hauled to a suitable receiving station or freight house.

The details of construction are shown in the accompanying drawings somewhat diagrammatically, the purpose of the present specification being to explain the general principles rather than the specific details of structure. In this connection it is to be understood that many known mechanical details can be applied and modifications additions and alterations can be made without in any manner departing from or limiting the scope of this specification and claims.

In the drawings there is shown in Figure 1 a longitudinal section of the car embodying the invention and at one end broken sections of the ends of adjacent cars with a brldging track between.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of a car and liner.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of a liner or cage showing the part in a collapsed condition.

In the drawings there is illustrated a standard type of box car with the usual under frame, sides and top. The ends B are removable as units, the same being held normally in place by any convenient means preferably by metallic brackets b on the ody of the car removably bolted to the car frame and overlapping the ends as shown. The top C maybe of a modern steel type While the sides D have the usual openings at the center closed by sliding doors as in general practice.

The liner or cage is constructed preferably of side sills 6, end sills e, the bottom or floor 6 and truck wheels E arranged at different points throughout the longitudinal extent of the frame. The under frame of the liner is of a width to permit its insertion lon itudinally into the car body. The side sil s carry pivoted diagonal members E of the lazy-tong type. The sides carry the top sections E E which may be conveniently of plate construction. To permit of the collapsing of the sides the one section is slightly shorter than the other the meeting edges overlapping as shown in section while the lazy-tong structures are positioned respectively on the outer and inner faces of the upstanding flanges of the side frames. The lazy-tong structures terminate adjacent the center on opposite sides leaving an open space designed to coincide with the door openings in the car body, this enables the liner to be properly filled with goods and in this connection it may be observed that the liner represents a cage the openings of which are closed by the doors of the car body. Of course it is obvious that suitable sup lemental closures may be employed for t e liners.

The ends of the liners or cages are by preference closed with plates E which are removably connected through bolts and brackets e to the top, bottom and sides. Each liner may be provided with coupling hooks F at the ends conveniently centrally disposed. On the floor of the car proper there are fixed relatively small rall sections G on which the truck wheels of the liner rest. Between the adjacent cars when. the train is to be unloaded there are placed bridging rail sections H. These may be secured in any convenient manner and arranged to aline with the carrying ralls n the adjacent car. The entire structure is so made that the frame of the liner Wlll be positioned in close proximity with the floor of the car proper while the storage space within the car is not materially diminished. The liner proper may be of steel formatlon relatively light so that no objectionable weight will be added to the car and 1n that particular it is to be understood that the sides of the liner may be of various forms of construction to suit as far as possible the use to which the car is designed. lit is to be understood also that the liners as such may be employed with other than box cars and conditions permitting can be covered with suitable protecting canvas or other material. The liners or cages are designed to be placed in storage houses and are constructed so that they can be as a whole elevated or shifted by suitable cranes. With this in view suitable hooks J are provided at difierent points along the under frame of the liner to which cables may be attached. Other means may be employed for this purpose.

The operation may be concisely stated as being that of placing the liner within the car through an open end, blocking it in any convenient manner against independent movement, closing the end of the car, filling in the goods to be transported through the sides and then closing the door of the car proper. When the car and its associated cars reach the terminal it is only necessary to remove the various car ends, couple the liners together with chains or cables or other convenient means, connect the train of liners or cages with a cable located at the end of the track and draw the liners from 0d the .train into a storage warehouse. The box cars thus relieved of their loads may be hauled off and used for general purposes or to be used for receiving additional liners at different points of the trunk line. When the liner has been unloaded it may with little trouble be collapsed and several of them placed in or on cars for transportation to difl'erent points. It is to be understood however ,that these liners may be constructed without the collapsible feature. As stated a system of bracing the liners, when loaded, may be resorted to but in many cases the wheel flanges of the liner will retain the same in the proper position, the wheels being chocked.

As hereinbefore mentioned, any suitable means may be employed for blocking the liners against independent movement. The

means, illustrated in the drawings, for this purpose, are chocks K mounted on detachably secured to the bottom of the car andengaging the truck wheels E of theliner.

While I have described a cage or liner of a shape conforming substantially to the inside of a freight car, it is to be understood that these containers or liners can be made in different sizes and two or more placed in a car. It is also to be understood that the cages or liners may be provided with openings for filling and unloadin purposes arranged at such convenient points as may be necessary. For convenience it is desirable to have the liner wheels set to gage with the ordinary railway track.

Having thus described this invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is z- 1. The combination with a plurality of freight cars each comprising a box-like body having top, bottom, sides and ends, the ends being removable, liners for the respective cars, means for coupling the liners together, and means for bridging the space between the ends of adjacent cars, the liners being removable in a train lengthwise of the train of box cars.

2. In combination with a plurality of box cars having removable ends of tracks within the cars, removable bridging pieces between the tracks and liners fitted to the cars and the tracks with means for coupling the liners together.

3. A freight car comprising a box structure having a removable liner therein and provided with end portions through which the liner is adapted to be removed.

a. The combination with a plurality of box cars having removable ends, tracks within the cars, removable bridging pieces between the tracks of the respective cars,.

liners fitted to the cars and mounted on the tracks, and means for coupling the liners together, the gage of the tracks within the cars being the same as the gage of the tracks for the cars.

5. The combination with a plurality of box cars having removable ends, tracks wlthln' the cars, removable bridging pieces between the tracks of respective cars, collapsible liners fitted to the cars and mounted upon the tracks within the cars, and means for coupling the liners together.

' 6. A freight car comprising a box structure having a removable liner therein and removable ends.

7. A freight car comprising a box structure having a collapsible removable liner therein and removable ends.

8. A freightcar comprising a box-like structure havingside openings and removable ends, tracks in the car extending along the sides thereof, and a removable liner mounted on the tracks within the car and car, said liner movable lengthwise of the having side openings registering with the openings in the side of the car.

9. A freight car of the box-type having tracks adjacent the side edges of its bottom part and removable ends, a cage like removable goods receiving structure of a size to fit within the cars and having truck wheels engaging the tracks within the car, said cage being movable lengthwise of the car.

10. The combination with a freight car comprising a box like structure having side openings and removable ends, of a removable goods receiving cage of a size to fit inside of the car and movable lengthwise HYMAN EPSTEIN.

Witnesses:

ROBERT T. RASMUSSEN, A. Snmx. 

